Last Kiss
by yukinomiyazawa
Summary: Keiko saves Yusuuke from death... but it seems a life will be taken away... A Yusuke+Keiko fic.


Last Kiss 

by Abi 

The noisiness of the busy street, the activities and the motion stopped. The people around me that do not seem to mind us slowly fade at the corner of my eye. I looked at the sky; looks like it would be one of those stormy nights. I was trying to catch my breath, I breathe in the air and I felt the shuddering inside, my heart beat faster and faster while I kept on running as hurried as I can. The rain fell harder making my hair to fall down before my eyes.

The loud deafening honking of the cars that almost bumped us, the yelling of the driver, the voices of the meddling people crossing the street…the rain itself, and her frail cry, keeps on echoing through my ears.

I continued to run steadfastly as I clutched the girl that was my only reason for coming back to Ningenkai. The girl that had given me the will to live and struggle for a better life. The girl who had given me the strength…when I'm in the verge of giving up. I felt her soft hands gripped my white cotton shirt now soaked with blood. I looked down at her and bit my lip. I couldn't stand seeing her like this… her cheeks that was used to be roseate, elucidate the shade of ash, and tints of scarlet red blood.

Her dark brown eyes that used to unveil the innocence and the light-hearted nature she have behind that free spirited soul, at this moment, it look as though that the life, which is seen in her eyes, slowly try to seep away.

"Keiko, open up your eyes!" I cried in despair as I see her about to close her eyes.

She gave me a weak comforting smile that she's going to be fine…

I couldn't look at her anymore…it makes me feel jaded.

No matter how much I try to spurn the idea, it just keeps coming back…

Haunting my mind…

_Will she ever make it?_

The thought of losing Keiko brought a shuddering fear inside of me. Fear that I never thought I would feel.

A chilling fright that went down to my spine made me almost faint as I felt the blood drained from my face.

And my whole body is shivering with cold.

I feel so helpless.

_She can make it I know, _I thought, trying to convince myself.

I started to shut off my senses from these probabilities that keeps coming back.

I glanced at the ashen sky.

_Please don't take her away from me…_

I slammed myself against the hospital's door. With surprise and shock, everybody inside the hospital rose their heads up and looked at us, fully drenched with my Keiko in my arms. The sight of what is happening inside this hospital was so bothering; worried doctors trying to calm the patient who had stab wounds and still the knife was still stuck in his chest. Holding her child in her arms, the woman was weeping, it's like she couldn't bear to see her child, wailing in pain. Behind me, a body was rushed to emergency room; he had burns all over his body. The victim was shouting, "where is my girlfriend? Is she hurt? Please find her!" It hit me. The scene brought drowsiness in my head…suddenly panic had struck me…I…I don't know what to do.

As I looked around, I saw the men wearing green uniform rushed towards us. They took Keiko from my arms. I hesitated for a moment but then I finally decided to lay her almost lifeless body on the trencher. I tried to catch up with them, as I held my hands tight on the steel bars attached to the trencher. They suddenly stopped and looked at my panic-stricken face.

"We're sorry, sir, but you have to stay outside the operating room," one of them said.

"But…" I started to protest.

"We'll try our best to save her," one of them finally said as the door gently closed before me as if placing a wall between us…my Keiko… she's within my sight but as if she's forever out of reach. As I peek through the glass stained rounded window at the door.

My knees started to weaken, the sudden withering…I felt all of my might was used up. I slowly slid down feeling the parallel coldness of the white-colored tiles up my spine.

_Keiko…. If you haven't shielded me…you should've been all right by now. _

I stopped counting hours that rounded the big clock in the hall…every surpassing minute feels like a lifetime waiting for Keiko to come out that door, quite alright, with a bright smile crossing her angelic face.

I almost jumped up from seat as the strong hands of the doctor fell on my shoulder. I stood up and forced to smile. "Keiko is alright, I know," I said, trying to sound confident.

The doctor looked at me intently and patted my shoulder. I could feel the heaviness as he placed his hands. Fear started to race through my chest. But then, I still tried to compose myself.

"What… what happened to her?" I asked trying to fight back the tears.

"She's in a very unsafe condition, she lost too much blood, and her brain needs the oxygen; now she's lacking oxygen, but we are trying to survive her as much as we can…"

The quiet corridor went disturbed as I heard my angry voice echoing through the hall. "What happened to her?" I said angrily clenching my fists ready to strike the doctor.

"She's in coma."

Lying on the bed, she was there it's like she's in a deep sleep. I felt my heart hurtle over when I saw her with the dextrose inserted in her delicate hand, as the nurse placed the oxygen mask in her pretty face. And the life monitor was just beside her bed.

I carefully opened the white door as the nurse came out, leaving us two, alone. The deafening sound of the heart monitor reverberated through the room. Slowly, I move close to this girl…who almost became mine.

"Keiko…" I started as I wiped a tear and tried to smile

" You know what, Keiko, Kuwabara, Kurama and Hiei are here. You have to be strong Keiko-chan, you've got to get over this. They still want to see you wearing that wedding dress I bought you…"

Though I knew that she is in coma, I was trying to convince myself that maybe, she would respond to my voice. But there is no respond at all.

Tears started to flow irrepressibly while I gently stroked her fine brown hair, and her cold cheeks. I took her soft hand…now pierced with a set of tubes. Little motes of light captured my swollen eyes. I touched the object that I know would have soon bind us together. The diamonds carved in the canals…shimmered the way it was not used to be… Not for the dried blood left in the design finely carved. It must have been the most beautiful ring, to be worn by my bride.

I lightly lifted her delicate hand, like I'm holding a fragile porcelain. I delicately caressed her fingers as I gently closed my eyes, and mildly kissed it.

I looked at her.

"I felt some kind of warmth when we first held our hands, I always like to hold your hand, Keiko. And I could never imagine never holding it for a long time. I couldn't let go. My feelings for you have gone to deep… From the moment our palms touched, I've always dreamed of you and I being together …this is the time I've been waiting for…"

"…the time you agreed to be mine."

She remained silent, the respirator that seem to pump and release her breath.

Time slowly swept away so as the color on her cheeks.

"I couldn't imagine my life without you…just say you will stay, Keiko… please…" I said painfully, holding her hand even tighter.

All of a sudden, she started gasping her breath.

"Keiko! Hold on!" I said with my voice trembling.

She continued to pant her breath.

She tightly held my hand for the last time and all at once, she loosened her grip.

"Don't leave me Keiko!!!"

As its sound got monotonous in pitch, the green highlighted line of the life monitor went straight

"Keiko!!!!" I cried frantically as the doctors and nurses started to fill up the room. I was pushed away from the bed to give the doctors some space. They placed the electric shock device on her chest that seemed to throw her body out of the bed as they reach the count of three.

I gazed around. Her mother was crying in deep hurt…

I couldn't take the pain any longer.

As I looked up to her bed, I saw a familiar figure appeared on her side.

"Yusuke…" stooping her head

"Botan… "

Botan stayed still, with her blue hair hiding her eyes.

"B…Botan…" I stammered as I looked from Keiko to her less cheery face… trying to fight back the tears.

"Don't tell me…"

" I'm sorry, Yusuke, I can't do anything about it" she shook her head.

"Botan…"

"Gomen nasai, Yusuke-san…"

"No… you can't take her away from me… you know how much she means to me…you couldn't… you wouldn't…"

"I'm sorry, Yusuke" she repeated as tears started to roll down upon her cheeks. "This is her fate…I… I couldn't do anything about it,"

"Don't…take her away from me… please …Botan" I begged, falling down on my knees.

With her voice shaking, Botan uttered to Keiko in a whisper, with hesitation. "Keiko-san…you've struggled so hard…it's time to let go…" teardrops keeps on streaming down her cheeks.

A bright light squinted my eyes as I saw the thin air drifted Keiko away from the scene.

"No, please…Botan…"

Botan offered her hand to Keiko. Keiko looked at me with sadness in her eyes. It's like everything around me went obscure, the motion ceased. There were just the two of us, speaking with our eyes between the different worlds we are set in.

She looked away. I feel a part of me had been taken away when Keiko took Botan's hand. And they slowly walk away turning their backs from me.

" Don't go Keiko!!!" as I tried to reach out for her.

"Please…stay"

Keiko stopped for a moment, she looked back before long she glided towards my direction.

I just want to hold her close.

She tried to embrace me.

When I missed to enfold her in my arms, then I realized, at that moment, that she belonged to the realm beyond my reach.

She turned her face to me, she said, " Don't worry, Yusuke," she whispered as she tried to caress my cheek.

"I'll always be watching you from where I stand, though now, we don't belong under the same big sky, just think of me, Yusuke-kun and I'll be here by your side" she spoke very softly. She was reaching out to caress my face while I tried to imagine touching her hand for the last time. She gently leaned forward. She tried to brush her soft lips against mine…when I closed my eyes, I felt the warmth of her kiss as the cold wind lightly touched my lips.

"Whatever happens, Yusuke, I will still feel the same way you feel for me, when our palms touched for the first time,"

I stood in astonishment.

She was listening, She was listening all the time.

" I'll be waiting for you, Yusuke… somewhere in time" She turned her back. I felt a heavy load in my chest. I don't want to see her go. She smiled as she glanced back at me.

Slowly, she began to fade as the sun finally settled beneath the horizon.

I felt my whole world shattered.

"Keiko…"

" Keiko, look what I brought you," I said in a weary voice, smiling, and at the same time, holding back my tears, as I leave a newly unfurl white rose to her grave.

Now I stand alone, feeling the drizzle gently falling on the soft earth.

I feel so cold …

And the rain fell harder.

A tear gently fell on my face. I glanced up the blackened sky, as lightning drew across the clouds.

I keep on asking them why Fate has to be so cruel to me, leaving me with this world that had became cold since she's taken away from me.

I try to reach out for her and before now I've learned to cry out her name in every break of dawn.

_I can't deal with this, this is so unfair…_

_I know that flowers, visits, pleas, though I keep on reaching out, can't bring you back to me. _

I heaved a heavy sigh.

_Maybe in another life, I could find you there, Keiko._

"Right, maybe I need a rest," I finally said as I glanced at her tomb for the last time and faintly smiled.

_Just wait for me Keiko. Wait for me…_


End file.
